I was cold called on a cell phone re my being selected as a successful business person. An ongoing spiel by a woman called Kathy, about the benefits and support for a well known blah, blah, blah. I agreed to buy the 'lifetime' membership and gave CC info over the phone as per normal on-line transactions.
I asked to receive an email which was to be sent in 5 days and a billing receipt immediately. The billing receipt never came and the email was received three weeks later.
I contacted the company and left a message as no-one took the call. The message indicated a cancellation of the contract but I accepted that too much time had lapsed between the initial call and the email. My fault.
But wait, there's more...
In February I was in the middle of painting the interior of a house and received a long distance call on my cell. It was from Stanfords once more and male called "Ross" I think, told me they were asking me to 'up-grade' the existing 'lifetime' product I had already purchased. I told him I was painting, I told him I wanted an email from them I never received and an answer from them from a message left by phone.
He kept talking as I said I had to go back to work, but I was not going to be paying for anything I had already paid for. I said, send me an email will you, and he said he would and would call back in 3 working days. As it was a Friday afternoon, I felt suspicious about the call and went to the ASB Bank in New Zealand and told them of the call. It turns out they had already deducted another $741.67 for which I gave no authority. The Bank cancelled the transaction and I cancelled the C Card... But wait, there's more.
The bank informs me that "although they held the funds and did not release them due to my actions, they also told me this is a common complaint with this Company and that the Stanford people would pursue the amount relentlessly under international Visa Card Laws.
I receive a letter with 'spoof' proof that I have authorised the transaction, and are forcing the ASB Bank to deduct monies from my account without my authority.
Oh. One other thing, I recorded the original phone call from Kathy and no-one knows I have it and it is computer date stamped from the electronic recorder and the download to my PC. Their dates and info are incorrect.
Dear ASB Bank, please don't fall into their trap, as I am not going to take this spam lying down.
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